1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to an apparatus for the display and dispensing of lottery tickets and more specifically to such apparatus that utilizes tension arms to guide tickets through a dispenser.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known in the art to store and dispense lottery tickets for instant lottery games. Such tickets are sold in a variety of retail establishments and are commonly found in grocery stores and convenience stores. Lottery tickets are often dispensed manually by the simple process of detaching a ticket or tickets from a ticket pack, according to the requirements of the ticket purchaser. However, with a variety of different types of instant lottery games now being offered, it has become commonplace for establishments selling such tickets to use different types of ticket display and dispensing devices for the tickets. A problem with previous devices has been the dispensing of tickets of various thicknesses. The tension on the ticket must be great enough to prevent the ticket from falling out of the dispenser, but not so great that the ticket becomes stuck in the dispensing slot.
Means of providing an efficient and effective device for the dispensing and accounting of tickets that are sold are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,383,572; 3,978,958; 4,982,337; and 5,222,624. Although such vending devices appear to be highly efficient in dispensing and accounting lottery tickets, they are expensive to purchase, relatively complex to operate and maintain, and take up more space than is normally available for ticket dispensing devices. U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,926 B1 discloses a relatively inexpensive alternative to the previously listed devices, but other than a friction roller used as means to account for the number of tickets sold, the device has no means to guide the tickets through the dispenser and aid in separation of series connected tickets.
Box-like ticket dispensers with tension-governed exits are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 978,052; 2,887,247; 4,738,384; 5,100,038; and 5,399,005. While the devices disclosed in these patents utilize tension to dispense tickets, all of them are more complex than the present invention, requiring springs, rollers and/or manual adjustments in order to properly function. These parts suffer from wear as tickets are dispensed, and require servicing to restore the device to proper function.
One objective of the present invention is to provide a space saving structure with simplified means for providing continual proper tension on lottery tickets as they are drawn through the dispensing slot, without need for springs, moving parts, manual adjustments, or servicing.
A second objective is to provide a structure at lower manufacturing cost with fewer maintenance needs.
A third objective of the present invention is to provide a drawer to accommodate tickets of varying thicknesses.